Transformational Justice in Action Campaign
Transformational Justice in Action is Gamaliel’s campaign to end mass incarceration and reform the criminal justice system.
It's time to invest in communities, not cages!
September 13, 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the “1994 Crime Bill.” This federal legislation was enormous and sweeping. On the federal level, it instituted extremely harsh penalties, especially for drug crimes. In a time when members of both political parties spoke of urban youth as “superpredators,” it ushered in an expansion of mandatory minimum sentences, including “three strikes and you're out.”
The 1994 Crime Bill did not just impact federal crimes and federal prisons. The bill included billions of dollars for states to build more prisons. It included incentives for states and municipalities to increase their arrest rates; it funded the purchase of military weapons for police; it encouraged states to enact harsher penalties. In short, the 1994 Crime Bill encouraged and funded the explosion of mass incarceration all around the country.
In September 2024, Gamaliel will remember the 1994 Crime Bill and the devastation it caused to so many families and communities. More than that, we will join our voices to say that enough is enough. It is time for our nation to pass legislation that will actually repair some of the damage done by the 1994 Crime Bill and other laws like it. Gamaliel will call for a Justice Reinvestment Act. As we invested billions in punishment and mass incarceration, now is the time to invest as many billions in programs that strengthen and help individuals, families and communities—especially those that have been most devastated by mass incarceration.
Decarceration – Good Policy Now and After!
In this time of pandemic, the fragility of our democracy, the predatory nature of our economy, and the precarious condition of our communities—especially low income communities and communities of color—are being laid bare. The coronavirus is infecting and killing black people in the United States at disproportionately high rates, according to data released by several…
Reparation. Responsibility. Reconciliation: Gamaliel Transformational Justice in Action Platform 2021
The following is Gamaliel’s Transformational Justice in Action Campaign’s 2021 Platform, which was released publicly during the Transformational Justice in Action meeting on January 22. This is a living document that was last updated on January 23, 2021. Download the platform document here: Gamaliel Transformational Justice in Action Platform 2021 As people of faith and…
Recent news from Transformational Justice in Action
Strategies for Ending Mass Incarceration
Strategy 1: Create greater awareness and an alternative vision in the broader community, starting with the faith community At its core, mass incarceration is a serious spiritual and moral issue for our nation. Communities and nations cannot systematically and unreflectively cage and marginalize massive numbers of human beings without first diminishing the recognition of their…
Read MoreWhy it Matters
The current criminal justice system in the U.S. is the inevitable outcome of centuries of systemic racism and economic inequity. Societal failure to ensure quality employment, housing, education, and healthcare (including behavioral health and mental health) to huge numbers of people—especially poor people and people of color—combined with an calculated, insidious legislative, regulatory, and judicial…
Read MoreDecarceration Effort
A successful rally-now it’s time to take action to decarcerate our vulnerable sisters and brothers!
Gamaliel Decarceration Virtual Rally Yesterday’s Decarceration Virtual Rally was a huge success thanks to an all-star line-up of speakers. Rev. Dr. John Welch, chair of the Gamaliel Board of Directors, and Rev. Marian Boyle-Rohloff, chair of the Gamaliel Religious Leaders’ Caucus, co-moderated the event which included moving testimonies from Gamaliel leaders impacted by the criminal justice system;…
Materials and Follow-up to Gamaliel Decarceration Virtual Town Hall
Thank you for joining last Thursday evening’s Decarceration Virtual Town Hall. Included with this email is a recording of the town hall, as well as some of the resources (see sidebar) shared by breakout leaders. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we act together to make decarceration a reality for the folks who are sitting…
Contact TJA
David Liners
Affiliate Criminal Justice Issue Campaigns
Nearly all of the 44 Gamaliel affiliates in 14 states are engaged in some kind of criminal justice work. These affiliate campaigns typically focus on one or more of the following:
Prevention
- Sustainable community schools
- Drivers’ licenses for immigrants
- Early education funding
- Elimination of out-of-school suspension
- Restorative disciplines policies and practices
- School discipline policies
First Contact with Policing
- Body camera legislation
- Citizen review/accountability boards
- Community/police relationships
- Data collection on pedestrian stops
- Diversity in police force
- Police involvement in the schools
- Racial profiling
Courts
- Alternative courts (e.g., drug) focused on restorative justice—treatment instead of prison
- Juvenile court reform
- Local alternatives to prison
- Raise the age
- Restorative justice alternatives to youth incarceration
- Sentencing reform
Prison
- Compassionate release
- Ending solitary confinement
- New county jail with family access and increased safety for inmates
- Release of those eligible for parole
- Restorative justice practices in prison/jail
Post-incarceration
- Ban-the-box (employment and housing applications
- End parole revocations for non-criminal violations
- Expungement
- Transitional jobs
- Ending mass supervision